Kingdom of Namal
= NAMAL: = History: Conception Around 5120 BBY / 1467 BTC, there was a young but potentially promising Pureblood Sith Lord and researcher on the subject of Chaos named Lord Beldam. She shared a night of passion with a fellow Lord on the world he had been bestowed by the Dark Lord Naga Sadow - a world that was, at the time, called Medriaas. Beldam and Dramath parted ways, thinking nothing of the interaction, but Beldam left with more than a pleasant memory. She kept her pregnancy a secret, not wanting to share her daughter with a Lord she cared little for and who may have enough influence to take the child away. She raised her daughter in secret, and in a few short years heard that Dramath had accidentally sired another bastard child, this time to a peasant woman. Disgusted by his willingness to stoop so low and by this growing habit, Beldam ignored the matter. But ten years later she heard that this bastard child had destroyed Dramath’s mind and, three years after that, claimed his father’s world and was named Lord Vitiate by Naga Sadow. Hearing also of the young Lord’s hunt for Dramath the Second, Lord Beldam began to fear for her daughter’s life. If Vitiate discovered he had a half-sister who could hold some claim to Dramath's holdings, he may come after her. Realizing that any child who could best a Sith Lord and claim his world would be a threat to her, Beldam devised a plan. Some years previous, she had found a world in a nearby nebula and discovered that it held a subtle, but powerful, Dark Side Nexus. It had been settled at some point and was inhabited by a number of humans living basic, almost technology-free lives, but had been abandoned and forgotten by the galaxy for longer than anyone could remember. The locals called the world Amgarrak. Beldam had been waiting to reveal her discovery at the perfect time to gain the most favor and influence, but instead began to move her power base and followers to the world, verifying that it had no entries in any Imperial databases. Silently withdrawing from the Empire, Beldam decided to create a kingdom where she and her descendants could rule and live without fear of Vitiate’s wrath. She abandoned her old titles and names and took on the mantle of the Zhejari - the Overlord of the new world. Dubbing her kingdom Namal, or Haven, she set about conquering the settlers and creating her domain. The former proved simpler than expected; local legends and myths about demons seemed to hold the locals hostage. Using their superstitions to her advantage, along with demonstrations of Force powers that the settlers seemed to know little about, the Zhejari convinced the locals that she was a deity that had heard their cries for protection from the demons and that she would be their savior. Most towns and villagers capitulated within the first few weeks, eager to host one Sith or another to make them feel safer. Construction The Zhejari’s six senior apprentices were dubbed the Jen’Ari, or Dark Lords, and placed in charge of one major city each. There were only three true cities outside the kingdom’s newly founded capital, so one of the three remaining Jen’Ari was given lordship over the new capital, controlling its basic and day-to-day operations. Another was tasked with building a factory city to create electronics and machines. The third, Zhejari’s most promising student in the mystic arts, was given a unique and special task - founding an immense and secret research community to continue the Zhejari’s explorations into Chaos and the Dark Side. Cannibalizing the larger ships that had born them to this world, the final Jen’Ari created a floating city at the heart of the planet’s greatest body of water. This city was named Jen’Jurin, or Dark Sea, and was built around the most powerful Dark Side nexus on the planet. The Jen'Ari of Jen'Jurin gathered other mystics and scholars from the Zhejari's powerbase and started working immediately, but the existence of the City was kept secret from the populace, and its location was kept secret from all but the Zhejari. The capital was dubbed Jen’Skaidrus, Dark Gem, where the Zhejari lived in the glistening castle Mivtsar and where the Jen’Ari met every other week to plan and update. There was also Jen’Sodas, Dark Garden, which was transformed into a massive agricultural center to fuel the new kingdom’s expansion; Jen’Akmuo, Dark Stone, where those who lived in the mountains mined and quarried for materials to build new cities and roads; Jen’Giria, Dark Forest, where lumber was harvested and fine crafts created; and Jen’Rusys, Dark Pit, where metals were refined and airships and other electronics were built, often by the hands of indentured servants or slaves who had committed crimes against the kingdom. These four cities formed the heart of the Kingdom of Namal, with numerous smaller communities scattered around and between them. Zhejari’s lower apprentices were made into her royal guard, the Sergeti, and they numbered twenty. They loyalty was absolute, thanks in part to subtle rituals Zhejari had forced them into without their knowledge. Consecration After establishing the government and power structure, she placed her daughter, Nasikhas, by her side as her voice when she could not be present - and as her fist when she needed to strike fear abroad. The settlers on this world had been left to their own devices for hundreds of years and numbered several million, scattered across the largest continent of Namal, Ymeria. The Zhejari required unification in order to ensure the safety and security of her heirs, and resistance to this unification was rare but often violent. Nasikhas, as the Zhejari’s most trusted servant, led many a campaign against pockets of resistance. The Force had become as legend to the settlers, who had long been absent from the galaxy, and stories of its resurgence seemed to win as many battles as actually using the Force did. Nasikhas would march on towns and cities that refused the rule of Zhejari, putting down riots and resistance brutally but efficiently. Her goal was always to ensure enough people survived to join and support Namal, and that they would do so with little convincing. In some cases, she was more diplomat than warrior, negotiating in order to obtain supplies the settlers lacked, or settle disputes to gain a village’s favor. In this time, Nasikhas learned that, despite their world’s rich Force nexuses, no one ever seemed to develop Force sensitivity. This was suspicious, but she had felt no Force users in any of the many villages and towns she’d visited and believed it to be true. Her efforts to unite the cities and villages earned her the moniker Alijafason, roughly translating in Sith to Alliance Maker. With little effort, the Zhejari established total rule over Ymeria and, in seeing so, declared the official founding of the Kingdom of Namal. The first Zhejari ruled for more than 50 years and, unlike the Jen’Ari, was always careful to ensure her citizens viewed her as benevolent and wise despite her Dark nature. On her death, Nasikhas became Zhejari and declared her mother the Kurejas Motina, or Founding Matriarch, and told the citizens that her mother would always watch over this kingdom. Kurejas Motina became the name whispered by those seeking guidance and protection. For generations, there was a long peace broken up by small, brief uprisings or riots. These typically arose from a Jen’Ari overstepping their bounds or mistreating their citizens. When Nasikhas became Zhejari she declared that all rulers would simply be named Zhejari with a numeral (Zhejari I, Zhejari II, etc), and they were only allowed to have one heir at a time. The heir would be named Nasikhas if female, which came to mean Princess, or Nasikh if the heir was male. They would have no other name until they proved themselves with a special mission or undertaking, or Kelegaz, and once completed they would choose a name that fit their accomplishment. Their individual name would still be replaced simply with “Zhejari” on ascending to the throne, allowing them only a brief glimpse of individuality to help them understand what they were protecting while keeping their focus on the throne. Zhejari I ruled as wisely as her mother and, for 30 years, she maintained order. Zhejari II and III struggled at times to remain unbiased and fair, but maintained the people’s faith in the throne. The next five Zhejari managed to cement the royal family as just, if unforgiving, rulers. Conflict In this time, Jen’Jurin had struggled in its mission to study Chaos. They were able to make small breakthroughs through visions and rigorous testing, but in truth they learned little about Chaos in the decades since the city’s founding. However, the horrific nature of the city’s experiments on both the living and dead managed to leak as rumors. The Zhejari of the time, Zhejari VIII, managed to keep the rumors as such, spinning them as scary stories to tell the children to make them behave - “Go to sleep, or you’ll be sent to the City of Terrors!” Zhejari VIII then began to have visions. Dark clouds hovering over the more remote villages, bringing storms that stole away their children. In short order she learned that these visions were of the present, and she sent her son, the unnamed prince Nasikh, to investigate. The villagers treated him with suspicion and poorly-disguised rage, thinking that the royals had actually begun to steal children and take them to the fabled Jen’Jurin to experiment on them. Their faith was more than shaken. In time, Nasikh discovered that the children were, in fact, being taken, but not by his father or any of the Jen’Ari. He and his guard arrived at one particular village late at night, and he felt it - a group of Dark Side Force users. Rushing to investigate, they discovered a group of three Force users taking two children from their homes - both of which also felt Force sensitive. A brief battle ensued, with one of the unknown Dark Siders distracting Nasikh and his guard using strange and dangerous Force techniques that seemed to burn the very fabric of reality. The other two Dark Siders and the two children vanished just before Nasikh managed to overpower their foe. They captured her and brought her to Jen’Rusys, the City of Labor, where Jen’Ari Shafrei had become the unofficial head of the kingdom’s intelligence networks. The Jen’Ari tortured and interrogated the captured cultist, eventually breaking her. She revealed the existence of a secret Dark Side cult based on a large island that was very near Jen’Jurin. They worshipped a Dark Deity long imprisoned and were granted visions showing the cultists when other Force sensitives would be born or would come into their power. They used these visions to steal every Force sensitive child, brainwashing them to join the cult. They believed that once they had enough Force sensitives gathered to worship their gods, the gate of the gods would open at the heart of the sea, letting their lords wreak havoc on an unsuspecting galaxy. Zhejari VIII sent the unnamed prince Nasikh, three of the most elite Sergeti, and a small army of citizens trained as security forces to assault the cult’s island. The campaign was short but bloody. The airships that brought them over the waters between Ymeria and the island were set upon by Force lightning and unnatural winds, and strange fire storms. Of the fifteen transports, only four managed to land safely. Nasikh and the three Sergeti survived, as did a few dozen of their forces. The cult had lain a number of traps, mundane and otherwise, seeming to know exactly where Nasikh and his troops would travel. They lost one of the Sergeti to more unholy flames and another dozen troops to pits lined with spikes and falling logs before they reached the cultists’ camp. Again, the cultists wielded powers that seemed to let them generate intense flames that burned reality, using this to unbalance, hurt, and even disintegrate the invading forces. However, their other Force skills appeared to be untrained and little-used, and the more conventionally-trained Nasikh, along with the relatively technologically-advanced blasters and slugthrowers of the troops, managed to overwhelm the defenders. The existence and destruction of the cultists was publicized, casting them as the demons of ancient legend. By order of Zhejari VIII, Nasikh executed every cultist he could find. This earned him his name and cemented him as heir apparent, and he became Nasikh Siqsaras (Siqsa + Maras, Demon + Bane). There was some minor unrest amongst citizens who had lost family members to the cult and, by extension, to Nasikh’s blade, but Zhejari VIII was cunning and a powerful orator. In a speech that was taught in every history class in Namal since, Zhejari VIII explained that “Nothing lost returns unchanged,” and that any family that was brought into the cult had been dead long before Nasikh Siqsaras assaulted the cult’s camp. The Jen’Ari of Jen’Jurin at the time, Psykis, kept the cultist woman, learning from her everything she could about the gate and the Dark Deity. Jen’Ari Psykis began expeditions and studies to explore the sea floor, finding an immense metallic ring in an unnaturally smooth base that seemed inactive and matched the description of the gateway the cultists spoke of. Going on the legends of the cult, Jen’Ari Psykis determined that she would need to gather a number of powerful Force users and have them call out to the Dark Deity at once. Establishing an underwater base of operations, Psykis gathered the other Jen’Ari and Nasikh Siqsaras and meditated with them. Their attempt worked in short order, their minds melded in a blood ritual focusing on summoning the Dark Deity. The gate appeared to activate, glowing with a strange orange-purple light. This proved catastrophic, their underwater base proving too close to the gate. Horrific creatures began to appear from the gate, and though they suffered in the water, many were able to escape into the base where the Jen’Ari stood and began to wreak havoc. Nasikh Siqsaras and the other Jen’Ari managed to escape, but Jen’Ari Psykis was lost while trying to stem the tide. She sunk the base, which seemed sufficient to prevent further beasts from surviving the ocean water. The next Jen’Ari of Jen’Jurin, Kavok, began to experiment with the strange energies that leaked through the gateway and the autopsy the beasts that came through, which, while powerful, were no gods. Crudescence Despite Nasikh Siqsaras’ efforts, two cultists managed to escape his assault without detection. Two decades later, after he became Zhejari IX, more strange visions and reports of dark events reached him. He personally rode out, fearing he had failed in his task, and brought a larger force than before with him, along with all but two of the Sergeti. Eighteen came with him while two protected his daughter, Nasikhas Visajun (Visa + Sajun, All-ally), who was well-known for her diplomatic endeavors and was universally loved for them. Where villages had once stood were only ruins, still smoldering from fires that had burned the night before. Despite the chaos and wreckage, however, there were no bodies. Zhejari IX knew that a great threat was rising and ordered all of the great cities to mobilize their defense forces and close their borders. He and his forces continued to travel the countryside, eventually discovering what had happened. They came upon a village under assault by what appeared to be a horde of the undead. They all bore fatal wounds or seemed half-decayed, but they were no longer human or Sith. Their skin had turned black, with orange light flowing from cracks and orifices. To Zhejari IX’s horror, he watched citizens transform into these creatures through simple skin-to-skin contact. The beasts were even capable of raising the already-dead simply by touching the corpses. Stood far away from the battle, surrounded by these creatures but seemingly safe near them, stood a man and a woman wearing the robes of the Dark Side cult. Zhejari IX flew into a rage and ordered his forces to attack. Leading the charge, he was able to destroy many of the zombie creatures, weaving between them while his lightsabers carved destruction. Most of his forces relied on blasters and slugthrowers to keep the undead at bay. The battle went on for hours, but the two living cultists didn’t flee. They instead directed their horde to focus on the attackers, especially the Zhejari. Zhejari IX fought his way through to the cultists, though none of the Sergeti or troopers were able to keep up. He battled both survivors of his massacre alone, realizing that they had grown significantly stronger since his assault on their camp. Luckily, so had he. Their duel ended when Zhejari IX, wielding two lightsabers, pierced both of the cultists’ hearts at once. They, too, landed killing blows on the ruler, and the three of them died together. The horde, now without direction, became nothing more than a target-rich environment. One of the Sergeti managed to arrive at the bodies in time to force one of the cultists to speak, who revealed that yet more cultists lived. They had foreseen the assault on their main camp and had sent some of the more recently brainwashed children into the cities to blend with the populace and bring about their vengeance. None were ever discovered. Nasikhas Visajun became Zhejari X in 4806 BBY / 1173 BTC and declared the threat of the cultists, upon whom the native’s legends of demons were based, vanquished for good. Her father was heralded as a prophet almost as revered as Kurijas Motina. He was dubbed Gudama Karzye, the Fallen Hero, and was prayed to by those seeking strength, conviction, or victory. Jen’Jurin had since recovered from the initial opening of a Chaos portal and learned to channel the Chaos energies flowing from the gateway, funnelling and concentrating them in order to better study them. Another disaster followed when they realized that Chaos energies that leaked through seemed to affect the minds of those near them, turning them into servants of whatever lay behind the gate, but afterwards measures were taken to avoid further incidents. Amulets, rituals, and meditations were developed to help contain the gathered energies and direct them, allowing the researchers of Jen’Jurin to experiment with how the energies affected various materials and objects. Coup The young cultists who escaped into the cities enacted a fallback plan. They began to spread rumors that the zombie horde, now common knowledge, was in fact a creation of the Zhejari, who crafted them in order to rule his people more brutally and wholly. The rumors didn't spread far or fast, but they were persistent. Over the course of several decades, the rumors began to foment dissent and distrust in the crown. Zhejari X and XI felt no need to address these rumors, refusing to confirm or deny such ridiculous nonsense. A resistance movement began to form, no longer satisfied with rulers who hid the truth from them. Supply lines stalled and were assaulted, and the resistance grew bolder. The Jen'Ari of Jen'Akmuo, Jen'Ari Skab, began to encourage and support this movement, seeing in it the chance to grab power from the bloodline of the Kurejas Motina. He funded their expeditions and assaults and provided safe haven for them in his keep. Almost a century after the sacrifice of Gudama Karzye, the resistance was plotting its largest operation to date: a raid on the armory in Jen'Skaidrus. They believed that disarming the capital's guard right under the nose of Zhejari XII, who had only recently been crowned, would destabilize the city and increase the people's already growing lack of faith. Unfortunately, one of the rebel leaders became too confident in their plans' success and celebrated two days too early. In a drunken stupor, the man confessed to a woman in a bar that he was about to help lead a coup. The woman, a plainclothes operative of Jen'Ari Skote of Jen'Rusys, captured the man and took him to her master. Skote tortured him for hours before he revealed any information of note to her. Once he began, however, she wouldn't let him stop. He revealed the location of all the staging areas for the Jen'Skaidrus raid and other relevant operational details. A few short hours later when the resistance began to take position, they found troops waiting for them. Some managed to escape, warning the rest of their comrades. A few were captured and brought to Jen'Ari Skote, but most were cut down without mercy. With the information gathered from the captives, Skote was able to give Zhejari XII all the information he needed to begin dismantling the resistance systematically - including the participation of Jen'Ari Skab. Skab, ever the opportunist, took his capture by royal forces and tried to spin it as rescue. He wove a tale of strange Force spells and mental domination, claiming that he'd been forced to participate. Zhejari XII seemed to take him on his word and, thinking he was once again in the crown's good graces, Skab revealed that before his capture, he'd ordered the remaining resistance members to his keep. They believed he was gathering them for a counterattack, but he instead sold them out for a slaughter. Zhejari XII led all twenty Sergeti and hundreds of troops in a march on Skab's keep, and the resistance was snuffed out in its entirety. Zhejari XII then used Skab's own keep's grand hall as a place of execution for the fickle Jen'Ari. Zhejari XII granted mercy to Skab's family, but forced them to watch the proceedings. As had been custom for centuries, Skab was given Trial by Grace. He was placed in a guillotine with no executioner standing by the lever, and Zhejari XII called out to Kurejas Motina, asking her to choose whether the man lived or died. As the largely non-Force sensitive crowd watched with bated breath, Zhejari XII triggered the lever with telekinesis, making it seem as though Namal's founder herself had executed the traitor. Most of the onlookers were taken in by the performance, but Skab's young daughter, Zapas, was Force sensitive and knew enough to understand that her father's executioner wasn't a God - just a vengeful royal. She was instructed by her mother to keep silent, however. What was done was done, and the widow just wanted to move on with what little was left to her like. Zapas, however, held on to the rage that this revelation had brought and let it smolder in her heart, and as she grew, so too did her hate. Contagion Skab's family was treated well, and some thirty years later Zapas managed to wrest control of Jen'Akmuo back from the man Zhejari XII had gifted it to. She was well-loved by her people, whereas her father's replacement had been as greedy and short-sighted as Jen'Ari so often were. Granted the position that she would likely have attained had her father remained loyal, she became Jen'Ari Zapas. Her city's love for her grew and she led them well for several years. Throughout this time, however, she was planting the seeds of her vengeance. She found ways to make the city more self-reliant, lessening its need for the foodstuffs produced by Jen'Sodas or the electronics forged by Jen'Rusys. She imparted in her citizens a fierce loyalty to the city above all, crafting them into zealots who loved her above Zhejari XII and Jen'Akmuo above Namal. When she deemed her work near completion, she made a formal request during a meeting with the Zhejari and Jen'Ari that no other Jen'Ari had ever made: she asked permission to secede. She knew her request would be denied, as it quickly and forcefully was, but she also knew that the lower nobles in attendance, the Ari, and the various servants in attendance would spread the news of this development quickly. Before she left the meeting room, all of Jen'Skaidrus knew about her request. By the time she returned to her city, even the secondary communities scattered around the five great cities were aware. On her return, Jen'Ari Zapas made a public broadcast informing the other Jen'Ari and Zhejari XII that her city would be seceding anyway, to the celebration of her citizens. The city gates were closed and heavily guarded, and a standoff began. Zhejari XII knew that ending this conflict by force would prove self-destructive, as Jen'Ari Zapas had likely planned. It seemed, at first, to be a no-win scenario for the crown. As Zhejari had done for centuries, when Zhejari XII knew no other options, he turned to Jen'Jurin. The City of Terrors had continued its studies on manipulating and utilizing Chaos energies, and under Jen'Ari Malod they had uncovered the virus carried and spread by the zombies that had been defeated over a century past. Experiments on this virus had proven largely successful, making it manipulable through the Force and altering it to create several versions, each with a number of different symptoms of various degrees of severity. The only downside was that one had to be infected in order to control it, and their experiments on immunizing the carrier had not proven successful yet. Zhejari XII learned of this, and that a new variant of the disease had just been created which was the most promising to date. Its victims would suffer severe cold-like symptoms for a number of days before falling into a coma and, eventually, dying. The carrier of this variant would be the safest they had ever been. More than this, the carrier would be able to cure any infected individual they so wished. Unable to wait for further testing and seeing the opportunity it presented, Zhejari XII infected himself and marched on Jen'Akmuo to rejoin the crown's forces already stationed nearby. Working over the course of several weeks, Zhejari XII ensured the infection of a number of citizens at all levels of government and citizenry in the city, allowing them to carry and spread the disease. When the epidemic became apparent, Jen'Ari Zapas sent out a broadcast requesting medical aid, as her doctors seemed unable to treat or even isolate this new disease. Zhejari XII interrupted this broadcast with his own, claiming that the disease was a judgement sent by the Kurejas Motina and Gudama Karzye. Dubbing it Siundiz iv Yda, or the Sickness of Sin, he claimed that a vision granted to him by the Kurejas Motina had warned him of this plight. He also claimed that in the vision, Kurejas Motina granted him the unique ability to cure this illness, but he could only cure those who left the city and returned to Namal as loyal subjects of the crown. He had yet to feel any ill affect from his own infection, and privately deemed Jen'Ari Malod's experiments an unqualified success to his attendants. Before Zapas could broadcast again, Jen'Akmuo's communications were jammed by the gathered loyalist forces. It took no more than a few more days for people to come running from the city, stumbling in their illness. They were isolated by royal forces wearing containment suits and brought before Zhejari XII. He relinquished the hold his plague had on those he met with, numbering several thousand over the course of the next few days. The trickle of fleeing citizens slowed and stopped, and the jamming was released. Jen'Akmuo remained silent. It was only then that Zhejari XII began to feel ill. With the counsel of Jen'Ari Malod, he discovered that while spreading and carrying the disease had no ill effect, curing others of it had exponentially increased its presence in his bloodstream. Eventually, his immune system, bolstered through it was by carrying the disease, couldn't keep up. As he fell ill, his daughter, Nasikhas Gubrudifas, who had earned her name putting down a fledgling criminal empire, was prepared to take his place. He made one final broadcast to Namal, informing them that saving the lives of those who returned to him as loyal citizens had cost him his own life. He formally relinquished the crown and passed it on to his daughter, now Zhejari XIII, minutes before slipping into a coma and passing away. Zhejari XIII proclaimed her father another prophet of Kurejas Motina and dubbed him Xalonias Jaarvek, or Merciful Father, and his name became the one uttered by those seeking healing or forgiveness. For centuries after, there was peace with little more than mild and well-contained disturbances. Creation Over centuries, Jen'Jurin's experiments on Chaos energies were refined and became commonplace, leading to the creation of Chaos-touched weapons. Alchemical Sith Warswords, the secrets of which had been brought by Kurejas Motina when she first came to Namal, seemed able to absorb the Chaos energies, allowing them to channel and control the Dark Side to a heightened degree. These weapons became the standard armaments for the Zhejari, Nasikh or Nasikhas, Jen’Ari, and the Sergeti. Further experiments and another few centuries gave Namal the gift of soulbinding. While Chaos-touched weapons were powerful, they proved nearly impossible to control over extended periods of time, making them tools of desperation only. Binding the weapon to one specific wielder through complex rituals allowed them to slowly become attuned to the blade, which would eventually allow them unimpeded control over it. However, the immense flow of power from a Chaos-touched weapon to the wielder could still overwhelm the wielder, sapping their Force connection and, eventually, their life. This was balanced out by shielding the wielder, which was best accomplished by replacing their weapon hand with a mechanical one. This allowed the wielder and weapon to slowly grow accustomed to one another. When the wielder became powerful enough and well-attuned to the weapon, their hand could be replaced by a cloned organic one, allowing them full access to the weapon’s might. Centuries more passed, peacefully. The occasional riot over resources, or uprising due to Jen’Ari greed, still occurred, but were always put down with relative ease by security forces and, in extreme cases, the Nasikh or Nasikhas of the time. Conflagration Zhejari L, ruler of Namal as of 19 ATC, was as unloved as any ruler had been in the kingdom’s history. Self-centered, short-sighted, and generally unconcerned with the well-being of his citizens, Zhejari L was known best for lavish parties. The citizens, while unhappy, remained loyal as they had always been - a dynasty that had lasted for a millennium would not be undone by one brat. The Jen’ari of Jen’Akmuo, Pseudopos, had worked hard to find the largest and most complex gems for his ruler, hoping to gain the upper hand against his rival Jen’ari. Personally leading many of the mining and quarrying teams, he discovered an ancient cave system that didn’t appear to be wholly natural. Within it was an altar that bore a tablet, inscribed in a strange dialect of Sith that he could barely make out. It read: The rivers boil as blood royal runs dry. All heirs gone, and new blood on the throne with new stars in the sky. The destined king will Amgarrak bring a great new Imperium of Sith, and none will stand against. Unbeknownst to him, the mining activity that uncovered these caves triggered tectonic activity. Long-dormant magma channels flooded, and the river that fed Jen’Sodas began to boil. This caused a drought in the City of Grain, which caused a famine for the commoners of the kingdom. Jen’ari Incar of Jen’Sodas and her people begged Zhejari L for help, but the ruler’s self-service continued into the crisis. The frustration of the commoners with their ruler grew. Jen’ari Pseudopos began to believe that the tablet was a prophecy, and that his discovery of it made him the promised new blood. He began to act on this, making his discovery public and taking credit for its purpose. The citizens of his city stood with him, and Jen’Sodas rallied to his call, believing new leadership was needed for this crisis. When Zhejari L refused to stand down, Pseudopos enlisted Jen’ari Mol of Jen’Rusys and her assassins and ambushed Zhejari L, slaying him. A year after the tablet’s discovery, and for the first time since Namal’s founding, the royal line had been broken. This began an outright civil war, with the military might of Jen’Skaidrus and the sorcery of Jen’Jurin allied behind Jen’ari Toral of Jen’Skaidrus, against Pseudopos the Usurper, as they called him, and his cohorts in Jen’Akmuo, Jen’Sodas, and Jun’Rusys. Jen’Giria, the City of Arts, remains neutral and largely unwanted, given its non-tactical locale and lack of vital resources. The conflict was bloody and fierce, with friends and family divided by the strict lines their lords drew on their maps. As the conflict dragged on, reaching its third year in 23 ATC, the citizens became less and less certain about either side. While the loyalists claimed to defend tradition and the insurgents claimed to represent the masses, neither side had done anything to solve the drought and famine. Hunger and thirst killed as many commoners as battle, and the lines began to blur... Religion: The Founding Matriarch, called Kurejas Motina (Sith for the same), is worshipped and often prayed to for guidance and protection. She is perceived by the common folk as an immortal and incorporeal deity, though she’s been dead for many hundreds of years. The royal family, descended directly from her, is seen as her heralds and servants. Their will is absolute because it is, supposedly, the will of the Kurejas Motina. The Fallen Hero, Gudama Karzye (Sith for the same), is worshipped as a prophet of the Kurejas Motina. He is often prayed to for conviction, strength, and victory. The Merciful Father, Xelonias Jaarvek, is worshipped as a prophet of the Kurejas Motina. He is prayed to when seeking mercy or forgiveness. Power Structure: The ruler of the kingdom of Namal is the Zhejari (Sith for Overlord). He or she has absolute power. The Zhejari’s personal guards are called the Sergeti (Sith for Guardian). The Zhejari must be a strong Force-user. The child of the Zhejari is named Nasikh if male, Nasikhas if female (Prince and Princess). If there are multiple children, they fight to the death at 10 years old. The surviving child is the heir to the throne. The Zhejari and their Sergeti observe, ensuring at least one child survives. If they fight to a standstill or cannot fight without both dying, the Zhejari chooses one after meditation and kills said child themself. There may only be one heir at a time. Once a potential heir is produced, the Zhejari will bear/father no more children until and unless the present Nasikh/Nasikhas fails to earn their place. The Nasikh/Nasikhas is given no name but their title until they earn it. To earn their name and their birthright, they must accomplish some task, quest, or other undertaking, known as a Kelegaz (Sith for Mission) that benefits the kingdom as a whole. They may propose such an undertaking, or they be given one by the Zhejari. Once they accomplish their Kelegaz, they are given a name that matches their accomplishment in some way, and their position becomes one of true royalty. At this point their power is second only to the Zhejari. The Nasikh/Nasikhas must be a strong Force-user. The Zhejari’s mate is the Grafas/Grafizas (Count/Countess). They are carefully selected to ensure the family line remains strong and uninterrupted. They do not have direct authority over anyone but their personal guard, though they are expected to provide counsel and comfort to the Zhejari. The Grafas/Grafizas is not necessarily a Force-user. Each city in Namal is ruled by a Jen’Ari (Sith for Dark Lord). They have absolute power within their city so long as the Zhejari or Nasikh/Nasikhas does not give specific orders. The Jen’Ari form a council and, twice a month, trek to the Mivtsar to meet with the Zhejari (and the Nasikh/Nasikhas, if they are present). They then update the royals on their city. The Jen’Ari must be strong Force-users. Each Jen’Ari may have a small number of Ari (Sith for Lord) to help them maintain order in their city. The Ari are not necessarily Force-users, unlike most of the government. Places: The kingdom is named Namal. The locals call the planet Amgarrak. The primary continent, which makes up 20% of the planet’s surface, is called Ymeria. The capital city of Namal is Jen’Skaidrus (Dark Crystal). Its glittering spires are thronged by air traffic and the occasional space ship taking off or landing from Namal’s only air/spaceport. This is the City of Crowns. The home of the royal family and center of power is the Mivtsar (Castle/Fortress in Hebrew) Other cities follow a similar naming convention and include, but are not limited to: * Jen’Sodas (Sith for Dark Garden): The farms of Namal, providing most of the crops and meats for the kingdom. This is the City of Grain. * Jen’Akmuo (Sith for Dark Stone): Carves quarries and mines, providing stone, minerals, and gems. This is the City of Stone. * Jen’Giria (Sith for Dark Forest): Provides for the lumber needs of the kingdom. This is the City of Arts. * Jen’Rusys (Sith for Dark Pit): The foundry city, where enemies of the Zhejari are put to work creating the machines and electronics of the kingdom under close supervision. Non-prisoner citizens are made up of guards, overseers, technicians, and other supplementary roles that ensure the quality of work remains standard. This is the City of Labor. * Jen'Jurin (Sith for Dark Sea): A dangerous myth to most commoners, this is the city of Mystics. It is made up of a collection of loosely grouped floating research facilities and testing grounds, all of which are dedicated to the study of Chaos. This is the City of Terrors. Category:RP Resources